Blackhawks President: Kane’s Maturation ‘Most Rewarding’

(CBS) Blackhawks president John McDonough lauded star winger Patrick Kane’s growth and maturity on the Boers and Bernstein Show on Thursday afternoon, two days after Kane scored a series-clinching goal against the Wild to add to a legacy that included immature younger days and a playoff resume that few in NHL history can rival.

“It takes a village,” McDonough said. “We worked pretty hard with Patrick, and the maturation process of Patrick Kane is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever seen in my 30-some years in sports. He’s a wonderful kid, comes from a wonderful family. Hopefully (the immature days) are behind him. Now he’s got a lot of confidence. He’s very grounded. He’s very, very humble. And I think all of the success has been very good for him. He’s carried it extremely well. There were some tough days, no doubt about it, and some soul-searching days, conversations we all had with Patrick. To see where he is now is really remarkable. It really bodes well for what the future’s going to be.”

McDonough also added re-signing Kane and team captain Jonathan Toews will be a priority. Their contracts are set to expire after the 2014-’15 season, and negotiations figure to start this offseason or early next season.

“We think … they fit Chicago and Chicago fits them,” McDonough said. “We certainly hope that is in place for a long, long time.”

McDonough addressed a variety of topics, including the vision for the Blackhawks in the future, what the darker days were like and how to reach the franchise’s young fan base. Listen below.